She set her sights on the rock with the ruby on it, hoping she hadn't picked out the wrong one. She focused all her thoughts on sending the lightning to that particularly spot, the concentration almost enough to cause a headache. Impressive given she didn't think she had the capacity for one in this form.
Within seconds, the lightning began to travel through her. The surge of power was like nothing she'd ever felt before. It was euphoric. Beyond anything she could possibly imagine. And more. It was something to admire and be terrified of. And she loved it. She wanted more. Always more. Always power.
The lightning crashed down to earth, at precisely the point she wanted to hit, and she smiled inwardly, pleased with herself for how well her attempt at actual magic had worked.
"WELL DONE LITTLE BEITHIR. YOU THWARTED MY PLAN," a Voice boomed through her head, causing a ripple of her terror throughout her body. That'd never happened before. Maybe it was one of the thunder gods? But no, it couldn't be. It'd long since been accepted in the supernatural community that the gods didn't exist. At least, not anymore.
The last of the electricity left her body and crashed into the earth. Amber's eyes began to flicker closed, and no matter what she tried, she couldn't seem to manage to stay alert.
Which was concerning given how far above the earth she was. At least she probably wouldn't die in this form. She had a lot more bounce to her than when she was a flesh and blood human.
That thought wasn't particularly helping.
Her eyes closed again, and this time, it took her even longer than before to open them.
A sudden jerk woke her up a little more, especially when she realised she'd dropped about thirty feet through the air. That was never good.
"COME TO ME," the Voice boomed.
It must be her imagination.
It had to be.
Her eyes flickered closed again.
She jerked back.
The blackness came quicker this time.
More height lost.
At least the earth was closer this time.
8
Izban watched in elation as Amber managed to direct electricity towards where they'd left the ruby. If only he could check it'd been destroyed. Anything to stop his grandfather from gaining power and upsetting the balance of the mage society. But without Amber, he couldn't get back up there.
He smiled to himself as he thought about their flight. It'd been exhilarating in a way he'd never expected, nor truly experienced before. Amber was a truly remarkable woman, and her skills in the air had allowed him to completely let go during their flight. He wasn't sure where his trust in her had come from, but he liked it, it meant he could truly enjoy her company.
And he couldn't wait to enjoy it more. Maybe he'd even take up a teaching post at Ben Vair. It wasn't like he could return home now. His grandfather would probably have him as a traitor.
He shook the thoughts away, and looked back up into the sky just as the last of the electricity was leaving Amber's body. It was a truly magnificent sight, and he was honoured to have had the opportunity to watch.
She hovered there for a moment, her majestic body swishing back and forth in the wind, her tail streaming out behind her. The surge of magic must have caused it to regrow. That was something at least. He smiled. She'd like having it back. He'd been able to tell how much it pained her to not have it.
He could understand. Missing a body part couldn't be a pleasant sensation, no matter which body part that was.
Suddenly, she dropped several feet through the air, and Izban's heart rose to his throat, thudding away there as concern began to build. She hadn't shown any signs of a loss of control while the two of them had been flying. Yet here she clearly had.
She dropped again, and he lurched forward, holding out his hands and trying to reach out to her. Which was ridiculous, he knew that. But something much bigger than either of them was propelling him further.
When she dropped again, the panic began to get way too much. Something was very, very, wrong up there.
This time, she fell. And he felt the rumble through the mountain floor as she hit the ground. Panic filled him and he really hoped her beithir form was strong enough to take the hit.
Even so, he found himself moving towards where she'd probably ended up, calling his aos sìth with a twist of his ring as he did. The creature would be incredibly pissed that he was being summoned again, but right now, Izban didn't care. Even if the creature turned on him after this it'd be worth it. Though it wouldn't. He'd just appease it with plenty of offerings.
"Lorg beithir," he demanded of the aos sìth. It looked at him, unimpressed, and cocked it's head to the side. Maybe it didn't recognise the reptile as an object. Which was fair. It wasn't. "Lorg Amber," he tried instead. The aos sìth thought for a moment, and then flew off into the night.
Hurriedly, Izban followed behind, not at all surprised that it wasn't long before the creature came to a halt. It flew round and round in a circle, chittering loudly.
The ground was dented, like something large had hit it. Something like a giant snake-dragon. "Amber," Izban whispered into the night. Where was she? There was next to no chance she'd been conscious after a fall like that. So she should be here. "Where is she?" he asked his aos sìth, who just pointed at the crater and spun around in a circle then.
Well, that was no help. None at all.
"Amber?" Izban called out into the night. But with the storm already calming, and the place being abandoned, it wasn't surprising no one answered.
Instead, an almost deathly silence filled the clearing. This wasn't good. And only one thought filled his head. He had to find her. If it was the last thing he did, he had to. He owed her that at the very least for helping him with a problem he didn't know existed.
Without thinking about it, he unsheathed the sgain-dubh he kept in his waistband. Not the traditional place to keep the dagger, he knew, but a traditional kilt would have been highly impractical given the situation. Not to mention, the knife may have aroused suspicion he didn't need.
He sliced the blade down his palm, and watched as the blood welled up there. His aos sìth chattered loudly in alarm, realising what it was he was doing, and the potential repercussions of it. Izban didn't let it stop him.
"Gheibh mi greim ort, Amber A' Bheithir," he swore. "I'll find you, Amber. I promise."
Authors’ Note
This is where Through the Storms ends, but it’s only the beginning of Amber and Izban’s journey.
* * *
Stay in their world for a while longer by reading From the Deeps, #1 in the Seven Wardens Series, where you’ll also meet Izban again.
* * *
Both he and Amber play a major role later on in the series, starting with the second book, Into the Mists.
Also By Laura Greenwood
Ashryn Barker Trilogy (urban fantasy reverse harem)
1.Shattered Illusions: http://books2read.com/shatteredillusions
2.Broken Illusions: http://books2read.com/brokenillusions
3.Tarnished Illusions
* * *
Fated Seasons: Winter (paranormal reverse harem)
1.Saving Eira: http://books2read.com/savingeira
2.Reigning Eira: Coming Soon
* * *
Fated Seasons: Spring (paranormal reverse harem)
1.Chasing Aledwen: http://books2read.com/chasingaledwen
2.Raising Aledwen: Coming Soon
* * *
The Paranormal Council (shifter romance)
1.The Dryad’s Pawprint: http://books2read.com/thedryadspawprint
2.The Vixen’s Bark: http://books2read.com/thevixensbark
3.The Necromancer’s Prey: http://books2read.com/thenecromancersprey
4.The Vampire’s Bite: http://books2read.com/thevampiresbite
5.The Witch’s Stripes: http://books2read.com/thewitchsstripes
* * *
Thornheart Coven (witch romance)
1.Witch’s Poti
on: http://books2read.com/witchspotion
2.Witch’s Spark: http://books2read.com/witchsspark
* * *
Beyond the Curse (fantasy fairy tales)
1.Awakening: http://books2read.com/awakeningbeyondthecurse
2.Cloaked: http://books2read.com/cloaked
3.Accursed: http://books2read.com/accursed
4.Betrayed: http://books2read.com/betrayedbeyondthecurse
* * *
Children of the Cursed (fantasy fairy tales)
1.Clipped: http://books2read.com/clipped
2.Slumbered: Coming Soon
* * *
Seven Wardens, co-written with Skye MacKinnon (paranormal/urban fantasy reverse harem)
1.From the Deeps: http://books2read.com/fromthedeeps
2.Into the Mists: http://books2read.com/intothemists
3.Beneath the Earth: http://books2read.com/beneaththeearth
* * *
Harem of Misery, co-written with A.K. Koonce (paranormal reverse harem)
1.Pandora’s Pain: http://books2read.com/pandoraspain
2.Pandora’s Envy: Coming Soon
* * *
Twin Souls Trilogy, co-written with Arizona Tape (paranormal romance)
1.Soulswap: http://books2read.com/soulswap
2.Soulshift: http://books2read.com/soulshift
3.Soultrade: http://books2read.com/soultrade
* * *
Dragon Soul, co-written with Arizona Tape (paranormal romance)
1.Half Soul: http://books2read.com/halfsoul
2.Torn Soul: http://books2read.com/tornsoul
3.Fifth Soul: http://books2read.com/fifthsoul
* * *
Rats: Tori (Steampunk reverse harem)
1.Ruler of Rats: http://books2read.com/rulerofrats
2.Yuletide of Rats: Coming Soon
* * *
ME Contemporary Revere Harem
1.Sweet About Me: http://books2read.com/sweetaboutme
2.Kneel For Me: http://books2read.com/kneelforme
* * *
Paranormal Council Standalones (paranormal romance)
-Spellbound: http://books2read.com/spellboundsecondchance
-His Lost Bear: http://books2read.com/hislostbear
-Under Her Spell: http://books2read.com/underherspell
-Catching His Ladybird: http://books2read.com/catchinghisladybird
* * *
Standalones:
-Reaper (urban fantasy romance): http://books2read.com/animareaper
-Assassin Princess (fantasy romance): http://books2read.com/assassinprincess
-Ocean’s Serenade, co-written with J&L Wells (paranormal romance): http://books2read.com/oceansserenade
-Hidden (dystopian reverse harem): http://books2read.com/hiddenrapunzel
About Laura Greenwood
Laura really needs to get around to writing a better biography. She's great at doing them for her friends, but not so much for herself. Until then...she's a USA Today Bestselling Author of Paranormal, Reverse Harem & Fantasy Romance...the romance being the important bit! From kelpies to dragons, and princesses to bakers, there's a wide range of heroines, with one thing in common: they know how to look after themselves. (But the romance is fun too!) When she's not writing, you can find Laura reading, cooking, baking or binge watching one of three TV shows. Or Pitch Perfect. She's been known to watch that a couple of times in a day.
You can check out Laura's Website here: www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk
Or join her Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/theparanormalcouncil
* * *
If you want to be kept up to date about upcoming books, competitions and more, you can follow Laura in the following places!
* * *
Facebook Group: http://facebook.com/groups/theparanormalcouncil
Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/authorlauragreenwood/
Bookbub: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-greenwood
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authorlauragreenwood/
Website: www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk
Mailing List: www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk/p/mailing-list-sign-up.html
Also By Skye MacKinnon
Daughter of Winter Series (Paranormal RH)
Winter Princess
Winter Heiress
Winter Queen
Winter Goddess (2018)
* * *
Ruined Heart Series (Fantasy RH)
Heart of Time
Heart of Four (2018)
* * *
The Drowning Series (Dystopian RH)
Polar Destiny
Polar Fates
Polar Miracle (2018)
* * *
The Mars Diaries (Sci-Fi RH)
Alone Hidden Found
* * *
Seven Wardens Series (Paranormal RH co-written with Laura Greenwood)
From the Deeps
Into the Mists
Beneath the Earth
* * *
Anthologies
Kiss my Corset – Corsets and Cogs (steampunk RH) Broken Princess – Royal and Reckless (contemporary RH) Hell’s Calling – Realms and Rebels (Paranormal RH co-written with Bea Paige)
Highland Butterflies - United in Love (FF romance)
About Skye MacKinnon
Skye MacKinnon is an International Bestselling author with a slight obsession with Scotland, bunnies and dried mango. And when she says slight... her friends are trying to find ways to trick her into not having a book set in Scotland. You'll often find Skye bribing herself into writing words using cake and tea, but whatever works, right? Whether it’s set in space (Scottish space, obviously), fantasy worlds (Scottish fantasy worlds, obviously), or Scotland, Skye's tales are full of magic, romance and adventure. Oh, and unicorns. There's a few demons too.
Newsletter: skyemackinnon.com/newsletter.html
Website: skyemackinnon.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/skye_mackinnon
Facebook: www.facebook.com/skyemackinnonauthor/
Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/skyesbookheaven/
Instagram: instagram.com/skyemackinnonauthor
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